1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to walkers with a stabilizing seat assembly for use by handicapped or physically impaired persons and for those individuals undergoing rehabilitative activity. More particularly, the present invention relates to a partial weight-bearing walker which assists a person in walking and when rising from a seated to a standing/walking position and back down from standing/walking to sitting position while minimizing or eliminating assistance from caregivers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Individuals in a physically impaired or weakened condition whether due to an illness, medical condition or injury who attempt to transfer from a sitting to a standing position to use a walker and then sit down again are at risk for falling. These individuals often need the assistance of others to help them stand up to use a walker and to accompany them as they ambulate with the walker and when they transfer from a standing to a sitting position. Individuals who do so without the assistance of others are at an increased risk for falling and injuring themselves. The Center for Disease Control (CDC) estimates 10 million individuals over 65 fall every year in the United States. Of those, 1.6 million require emergency medical care with approximately 200,000 breaking their hip and approximately 100,000 with head injuries. The reason many individuals fall is due to loss of balance secondary to insufficient leg strength as they move around or transfer from a sitting to a standing position and vice versa. Another cause of falls resulting in injury involves individuals who suffer a sudden weakness or collapse of their legs or musculature which fails to support their body resulting in the fall.
Adaptive walkers are known which usually require another person to assist an individual as they stand up in preparation for using the walker. Walkers are known which require the user to hold on to it with the hands for balance, support and steering of the walker. In such walkers the upper extremities are required to transmit the force to move the walker and the user is caused to tend to not use a natural walking gait but to shuffle without raising the user's center of gravity and to hunch over the arms and hands.
In many walkers the user becomes easily fatigued and can only move short distances. This is because of the effort required to support the user's weight, maintain balance and push the walker through use of the arms. These adaptive walkers often require another person to accompany the user to prevent injury in the event the user suffers a sudden loss of balance, weakness or collapse.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,275,554 to Mullholand discloses an assistive walking device which supports the user's body with multiple body weight spring means.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,733,018 to Razon discloses a stand-up walker with a pair of adjustable arms and a harness which lifts and supports the user while walking.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,176 to Kuntz discloses a walker device with a support sling assembly and power assisted lift.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,502,581 to Costello relates to an assistive lifting, standing and walking device.
A walker which minimizes or eliminates the need for another individual to assist and accompany a physically impaired user of a walker as the user stands, walks and sits with the walker and use a walker safely is desirable. A seat assembly which helps stabilize the user's body position and maintain the user's balance is desirable.
A seat assembly which helps stabilize the user's body position and maintain the user's balance is desirable.
Walkers which allow the user to move and maintain balance without requiring the user to hold on to the walker are advantageous because they allow for improved posture, the development of a more natural walking gait and freedom of the hands. A walker which does not rely on contact with any part of the body other than the pelvic and abdominal area to propel the walker (i.e. chest, arms, etc.) frees the user to use natural gait and permits freedom of movement for other parts of the body, thereby increasing ease and confidence of use and maximizes the beneficial effect of the physical exercise on the body.
There is a need for a walker which enables an individual with impaired strength in the lower extremities to independently without the assistance of others, stand, walk, sit and rest until he is ready to resume walking and then repeatedly alternate between the standing/walking phase and the sitting/resting phase at will and with ease.
There is a need for a walker which enables the user to walk with less expenditure of energy or enables the walker to travel a greater distance than he would otherwise be able before he is fatigued as well as for a device which allows the user to variably adjust the force he exerts on his lower extremities to exercise, rehabilitate or gradually strengthen his lower extremities.
Specifically, there is a need for a walker which enables the user to independently transfer from a seat, chair, bed or toilet to a standing position and vice versa who might otherwise require assistance. Walkers are also needed which stabilize and safeguard the user in the event the user suffers sudden loss of leg or body strength or balance.
There is a need for a seat assembly to be used with a walker or other device in which a user stands or sits and engages in a physical movement such as with a bicycle or stationary exercise bicycle. Once the user's balance is maintained the user can engage in a variety of physical activities such as walking, standing or moving legs in a circular pedaling motion.
Such a device will not only increase the confidence and sense of self-worth in physically challenged individuals, but alleviates in part some of the demands placed upon caregivers in a private or institutional setting. The use of the walker described herein will eliminate the need for the assistance of caregivers when walking or transferring from a sitting to a standing position and vice versa for some patients. The use of the walker described herein will at least enable the caregivers to exert less physical force than would otherwise be required thereby lessening the frequency of physical injuries to caregivers from lifting and supporting patients.
Walkers which promote good posture, a natural walking gait and the development of strength and rehabilitation in the user and thereby avoid making the user more dependent on the walker instead of less dependent are desirable.